Coronavirus: Kenyans with family in Wuhan speak of torment

Dick Obonyo is one of the Kenyans whose family is trapped in Wuhan, the coronavirus epicenter in China.

His wife is a PhD student in one of the universities in Wuhan. Obonyo, a father of two, has for the past five weeks had sleepless nights.

He on Wednesday said that from the constant conversations he has had with his wife since December, the situation in Wuhan is 'horrible'.

All the wife can access in the supermarket is water and rice. She stays several kilometres from the university.

Obonyo says despite the situation, he has been in the dark with no communication from the government. He and other families have to rely on the media to get updates which he says are not forthcoming.

His wife is susceptible to cold, which has been worsened by the winter in China, but has to survive without going to hospital for fear of being quarantined.

“When I talk to her she says there are quite a number of students who are sick, physically sick, let alone emotionally and psychologically tormented. They are afraid if they visit hospitals they will be retained there,” Obonyo said on Wednesday.”

He added: “Even when they visit the hospitals they don’t get the conventional medicines they are used to back at home. These students normally carry their medicines so when I talked to her, the medicines are almost depleted. Even the flu she was having she was just managing it like that.”

With nothing to do, his wife has lost a lot of weight. All she pleads with her husband is to do everything possible to evacuate her.

He said they are ready to evacuate their loved ones, and in position to provide air tickets, all they want is government support.

In addition, those who are expectant cannot access Antenatal care.

“We wish the government could intercede so that the data is taken so that those who have given birth can access antenatal care. Those are not students, some are wives.”

The father of three also noted that as a person in constant touch with the students, are in a financial crisis, adding that even if they have money, access to the banks is impossible.

“Some of the students don’t have money. They were depending on the stipend yet the government of China has never paid the stipend since January and if it does maybe to a few selected universities, and they can’t even leave to go cash the money in the bank. Systems are shut,” Obonyo said.

He now wants the government to arrange for food to be ferried to China through the embassy in Beijing to students in Wuhan even if they are quarantined.

Another relative tells her story.

Lilian Morara’s husband is in Wuhan. He was to complete his studies in June. He is stuck in China for the past five weeks.

All she wants is her husband to be evacuated as she has three kids. Her husband was the sole bread winner.

“My kids ask me if their father will come back alive. I plead with President Uhuru Kenyatta and DP William Ruto, and Raila Odinga, please sit down and talk and bring back those who are stuck in China because they never went there for leisure. They went there to study to help themselves in life,” Morara said.

They said it would be very horrible if the government starts bringing bodies from China, yet there is still room to act before it is too late.